Husband surprised me the other night with a sa-weet (well, more like spa-icyyy) asian-inspired dish. He even served it to me in our new china serving bowl. He wouldn't let me near the kitchen while he was preparing it and it smelt so good from upstairs. It tasted even better. Did I mention he even cleaned up the entire kitchen? Love that guy.
Sidenote: After showering (I had been at the gym), since hubs was surprising me with dinner, I thought I'd surprise him with a look that didn't involve sweatpants (what!? It was like, 7pm). This 'look' involved black leggings, a black top and a black sweater. Oh, and I threw on big hoop earrings because he loves those. However, no make-up was used in this look because that would just be too much effort (and I had just given myself a facial) - so yes, here it is folks, first time ever on this blog, me, make-up-less.
Dayyyyyum
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Super easy summery salad. The last time I made this was for Canada Day celebrations and since we are experiencing Daylight Savings now, what better way then to post about something summery? I can almost feel the warm breeze blowing past... oh wait, I actually can as I'm still on vacation in Florida.
What you need:
* 2 pears
* a pint of strawberries
* a package of leafy stuff (I used mixed greens)
* feta cheese
* walnuts
Dressing:
* olive oil
* 1 lemon (for the juice)
Chop everything up, throw it in a big bowl & enjoy.
For the dressing, it's kind of a trial & error. I like to use a Mason jar; squeeze a lemon (or lime) into the jar, add even more olive oil and shake it up. You might need more of both, pour over salad right before serving & toss.
I even put some of the salad on my buger! Get creative.
We love to eat out and one of our favourite places is Baton Rouge. We went the other night for an impromptu date (which was so nice), arrived around 8pm without a reso, waited about half an hour and had a fantastic time. I had the ribs, he had the steak, we ate a ton and split a great bottle of Shiraz (my fave). When dessert time rolled around, we were both bursting at the seams but an acquaintance friend of hubs who works there brought us a cheesecake sampler (three cheesecakes) 'on the house'. How sweet is that? And you can bet we ate the entire thing!
I wore my new double finger ring from Stitches and my red OTK boots (last seen here)
We went out to one of our 'all-you-can-eat' sushi spots the other night and had a great time. We thought it'd be cheaper because it was a weekday (whereas weekends are more expensive). As it turns out, it was $1 cheaper (one dollar). Oh well. It was delish and I discovered my new favourite: rhe rainbow roll. Okay, second favourite because I'll never love anything more than the spider roll.
Ginger & Wasabi | Rainbow Rolls & Spicy Tuna Rolls
I love pancakes but after reading that they are the 'black hole of breakfast food' once in a magazine, I was slightly turned off. Not that I can't indulge every now and again (I have been known to indulge far too often to begin with!) but that phrase (sadly) really stuck with me.
I found a healthier way to make pancakes and have been pretty obsessed with them ever since. I tweaked the recipe which also called for some sugar and salt, by completely removing them, and it's fine (and healthier). Whenever I have fresh fruit, I love to throw that in too.
Happy weekend!
You will need:
1 Cup Whole wheat flour
1 Cup Milk
1 Egg
1 tbsp. Baking Powder
Strawberries (as many as you'd like, I used half a pint)
How to:
1. Mix the first four ingredients
2. Once blended, add the strawberries
3. Heat frying pan and throw in some butter so the 'cakes won't stick
4. Pour pancake mix into pan (I like making 3 at a time)
5. Flip when the bottom is browned or the top starts to bubble a bit
6. When both sides are browned, they are ready
7. Serve with real maple syrup
Regular (left) & Whole wheat (right)
I went away last weekend with my family to attend my Uncle's birthday. I didn't take too many photos but did capture some of the food including the miniature cinammon buns that I couldn't get enough of. While standing around with my sister and her boyfriend, our conversation went a little like this:
Me: Do either of you want to split a mini cinnamon bum with me?
Them: No.
Me: ...But I don't want to eat the whole thing myself.
...And then I ate three.
When I was in Toronto in November, the bff and I went to Fresh, a restaurant originally discovered by our mutual friend Ka. It's a gourmet vegetarian / vegan restaurant, and while I love meat, this was a great change for a night. I ordered the Warrior Bowl and devoured it.
About a month ago I attempted this dish, without instruction (strictly memory and imagination), and it turned out quite nice (keep in mind it's not really a Warrior Bowl, but we'll call it A.Co's version). Tonight I was craving it (especially since I knew I had a fresh blueberry pie waiting for me for dessert!) and wanted something healthy. Here's the how-to:
You will need:
Spinach
Chickpeas (I used kidney beans last time in a pinch)
Brown rice
Peanut Sauce
How to:
1. Cook your rice (I used about 1 cup)
2. When the rice is almost ready, saute the spinach (I used 4 big handfuls) and chickpeas (1 can) in a wok
3. Spoon in 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of peanut sauce into the wok
4. Mix in the rice
5. Add pepper to taste (I also added curry powder - be creative!) & enjoy
I only had about a large spoonful of peanut sauce so I improvised
and added two large spoonfuls of peanut butter - it works!
I love pizza. However, ordering pizza isn't the healthiest nor the cheapest when you want it on a semi-regular basis (read: once a week or so), so I have come up with a way to have my pizza and eat it too (and not feel guilty).
What you'll need:
- Greek pita wrap (I like these because they are thicker, but I always get whole wheat or whole grain, etc.)
- Tomato sauce (any kind will do)
- Loads of veggies (my faves include broccoli, olives, tomatos & mushrooms)
- Any kind of grate-able cheese (I like marble)
- An oven, pre-heated to 400 degrees F
Spread tomato sauce on pitas, layer with veggies and cover with grated cheese
Bake until cheese is bubbly and pita looks done / slightly-crusty
Voila! (I enjoy mine with hot sauce)
While driving home from the gym the other night I knew I'd be eating solo and wanted something quick, healthy and to be able to use ingredients I already had (I really didn't want to stop at the grocery store!). I decided on the tried and true tuna melts I often make in this situation. When I got home, I realized there was no mayo but remembered a friend had advised me years ago that you could substitute humus wherever you used mayo (a trick her doctor taught her). I actually had humus and gave it a shot and it was actually really good. From now on, this is how I will make my tuna melts. Now, to keep humus on hand will be the tricky part...
What you'll need:
- 1 can of tuna (preferably in water, much healthier)
- 1 or 2 stalks of celery (or something crunchy - I like the crunch)
- block cheese (I used what I had on hand, cheddar)
- a spoonful of humus
- some sort of bread
- an oven, pre-heated to 400 degrees F
Chop celery, cheese and mix in a medium bowl with the canned tuna
Add a spoonful of humus (I just winged this, you might need a bit more/less)
Spoon tuna mixture onto your bread (I love using a bun but was trying to be healthy
so I used 12-grain bread), on a baking sheet & pop in the oven for 20 minutes
or until cheese is melted and the tops look slightly browned
Enjoy!
Tandoori grilled chicken & avocado stuffed flax pita
Ever have those days where you don't have much on hand to cook with, but are feeling something healthy, satisfying and good? Me too. All the time. Tonight I was cooking for one and really didn't want to make a trip to the grocery store. I had a few things on hand that I wanted to incorporate (chicken, avocado, cauliflower and sweet potato), but didn't want the standard, 'Chicken and veggies' meal. Hmmm, after perusing online and finding nothing that used all four ingredients, I decided to make something up. I ended up with this tandoori grilled chicken and avocado stuffed flax pita. It was good, too (and easy - has to be easy, especially for nights like these)! Here's how to make it:
You will need:
Chicken breast
Avocado
Cheese (any kind, get creative!)
Tandoori sauce (you could use honey-garlic, teryiaki, whatever your lil' heart desires)
Pita bread (I like the healthy stuff and got a thicker, flax pita)
How to:
1. Get out the panini press or BBQ. Brush your chicken with your (tandoori) sauce and place on the grill.
2. Cut up some fresh avocado and slice some cheese.
3. Cut open one end of the pita so it's ready to be stuffed.
4. Prepare any side dishes (I made a baked sweet potato and grilled up some cauliflower and carrots, however, the pita is pretty filling so you might not need this)
5. When the chicken is ready, put a couple slices of your cheese on and grill for 30 seconds (to melt).
6. Stuff pita with chicken and avocado & enjoy.
{ veggies & dip in shooter-style glassware }
When my girlfriend asked me to help style the surprise party she was throwing for her man, I couldn't say no. We came up with a colour theme and went from there. She came up with a great menu and did a super job preparing the food. We made tissue paper pom-poms and I created the table layout. She also asked me to stick around and play photographer for the evening, since she knows how much I love taking pictures. The birthday boy was totally surprised and everything went extremely well, it was great.
{ the party planners - there is a foot difference in height! }
{ mushroom bruschetta }
{ special ordered cupcakes }
{ DIY pom-poms }
{ cheddar popcorn }
{ pineapple chicken skewers }
{ inspired by something we had at our wedding }
{ photo frame decor }
{ 'patiently' waiting }
{ guest favours }
* I noticed that some of you have asked some questions in the comments section in the past and while I try my best to answer, either on your blog or via twitter, some of you don't have a blog. I prefer not to respond to comments on my blog as not everyone checks back. I do have a formspring account, where you can go and ask anything you'd like, even anonymously. So, what are you waiting for?!
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